Tropical Fish
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Page 2

Mentat, you're doing all the right things - so no idea why you're getting algae probs...

One more stab - have a go at lowering the temperature and if the light's on a separate mains feed get one of those cheapo mains timers that switch on and off a couple of times a day and program it to switch the light off for say half an hour every 4 hours...

If you're going to get a plec get a baby one, it's quite amazing watching the little sods grow from a tiny tank-scraper to a titanic nautilus of a beast!

Peej

Ah, sadly the light power supply is built into the hood etc. So it's not possible to use a timer...

I used to have a tank a few years back, and plecs always were my favourite

Plants - seriously think that unless you have problems oxygenating the water, it's better to get plastic ones and some sort of bubble curtain thing for the back of the tank - this'll also help with the algae problem because all those nice bits of shredded plant just promote algae growth too...

Bought my lot some of those weird little glow in the dark jellyfish a while back and damned if the little buggers didn't chew them to bits too!

If you ever want a "clean" tank you will have to ditch the plants...go for some bogwood and a couple of airstones / air curtain and your tank will be lovely and clean AND your fish will live longer and not be susceptible to fungal diseases.

Ace Grace wrote:
Ah. I have some bogwood already and an air stone, which is a bit shit really.

Can I use an air pipe with a sand base?

Yup. You can get some triangular-section stuff that'll do the trick. Feed an airline into that, and bury most of it under the sand at the back (leaving just the ridge poking up) and that'll work nicely. Shouldn't get blocked because the sand'll move off it easy enough.

My tank's ticking along quite nicely now, but i'm having a hell of a time with the plants.

I forget what they are called, but i had some long thin grassy type plants and a couple of tall large leafed plants, but they've all died right back and look nasty.
The only plants that seem happy are some small asian something or other that likes bogwood.

Plants - you know what? it's actually tougher to keep them alive than it is the fish.

To be honest, I use "real" plants sparingly, I've got about 2 separate clusters of the wispy stuff growing from compacted moss on the bogwood I've got in the tank, and that seems to be the best way to grow it. Growing it from the tank bottom, you will never get a clean/clear tank and you'll be fighting algae all the way.

If you do want coverage plants, trust me on this, go for some of the plastic varieties.

You really don't need plants at all unless you're not using an oxygenating pump.

If you're dead set on growing plants and keeping 'em going you may well need to do what I did when I first got my tank - get a smaller tank, put some of the water from your main tank in there plus about 60% fresh water and let the plants get established in some silver sand for about 2 weeks before transferring them to your main tank.

Clown loaches *love* bloodworm blocks. Mine adores it. Currently enduring the problem of green scum on the surface of the tank. Any suggestions folks? I think it's because I put some real plants in a couple of weeks back, all bar one of which have been growing ok - I know that rotting plant = algae problem.

So I'm thinking of setting up a smallish aquarium. I didn't think 28l was small, but apparently it is. Anyway, any advice would be super! Is it too small to not bother, or can I happily house a handful of tetra and a shrimp or 2?

If poss, would also like to get a fighting fish in there, but wondering if the tank is too small for all that? Advice much appreciated.

Fighting fish funnily enough will fight your other fish Not sure what other fish you can house then with if any. I know the females are more placid but also nowhere near as pretty.

I think the general rule is 10L for each inch of fish, so yeah, 30l is on the small side although I wouldn't have thought that's ridiculously small for a few tetra. Perhaps the shrimp is pushing it, and yeah, the betta is definitely overkill (fighting tendencies aside).

I honestly have no idea. I like the idea of something that my 2.5yr old son can bond with, hence wanting something a bit bigger than the tetra and in the shops I've been to locally they've been keeping tetra and fighting fish together so thought I'd be ok.

The reason I have mentioned tetra is purely selfish. Love watching those in aquatic centres. I find them really hypnotic

Cool. I can't see that being big enough for more than three of four fish, and small ones at that. Again, talk to the shop, but as said above, you might be better off with one really cool looking fish like a nice betta. That's not really community tank size imo.